There have been many posts about speakers for your mac, but none are specific to the G5. What i'm looking for are speakers which use that optical out on my G5! Are there any cheap speakers which use it (cheap < $200)? Because 5.1 speaks cannot be put in the single headphone socket at the back, can they?

I know what you need...a pair of Logitech Z-680s. They will run about 275$ on ebay, but they are definately worth it. These sound better than surround systems you would by at an A/V store. 505 Watts of power, 190 watt subwoofer, they are monsters.

There are very, very, very few speakers (read - almost zero) that have optical inputs. The G5 outputs weren't designed for that. You are supposed to hook it into a receiver with an optical in - which then processes the sound and sends it to the correct speakers.

Also keep in mind that "computer" speakers often use a different metric for wattage output than "normal" speakers. I can't tell which side the logitech fall on, but since they only can pump ~65 watts it probably won't make much difference anyway.

There are very, very, very few speakers (read - almost zero) that have optical inputs. The G5 outputs weren't designed for that. You are supposed to hook it into a receiver with an optical in - which then processes the sound and sends it to the correct speakers.

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No, that is exactly what they were designed for. Hence why Apple offers two different 5.1 speaker setups (with optical cable) from the Apple Store with PMG5 machines. The previously mentioned Z-680s and the ProMedia GMX D. Both have optical inputs as well as the three-plug setup found on most PCs.

It depends on what you want to do with your sound. I don't think any speaker set will ever have decoding that will match that of a receiver. The Klipsch model might not even have decoding - just a 5.1 surround field. The Logitech does have decoding, but you may not reach the accuracy of using a real receiver.

I guess I should have qualified my last post with - for watching loud DVD movies, a more true experience might be obtained using a receiver. These will work too, it just depends on how crazy you want to get.

Hey there, I currently own the Logitech Z-680's and i have them hooked up to my dvd player (optical input) and my ps2 (optical input) as well as my Tv (analog input) and my iPod (analog input). This is a sweet system and can't be beat for the price. Granted it's not an offical home theater receiver but this does not hold the system back in any way, the sound quality is top notch, and the volume and cleanliness of the sound is unreal for anything at this price. I've seen pictures online where people have the unit sitting right next to there computers, since I have a laptop I don't do this but with a G5 tower the grey and silver of the 680's would look sweet. Just my $0.02

It depends on what you want to do with your sound. I don't think any speaker set will ever have decoding that will match that of a receiver. The Klipsch model might not even have decoding - just a 5.1 surround field. The Logitech does have decoding, but you may not reach the accuracy of using a real receiver.

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If it doesn't have decoding, then it can't produce 5.1 sound over optical (optical doesn't have uncompressed audio for more than 2 channels IIRC). However, I can't speak as to the accuracy of any decoding that may be present in these speakers (but I would presume it's a single chip solution from Dolby so it would be the same as everyone elses).

carletonmusic said:

I guess I should have qualified my last post with - for watching loud DVD movies, a more true experience might be obtained using a receiver. These will work too, it just depends on how crazy you want to get.

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Well, audiophiles around the world grate at what most people call good to great sound anyway, so why worry about them

What does everyone recommend as the best overall value/stylistic set of speakers to get for a PM? Think I'm looking in the $100-$200 range and don't care if it's 2.1 or 5.1 because it wouldn't be for movies, more for music and video editing. I like the look of the soundsticks, and creative iTrigues, but want the best sound for my money as well. Any comments?

If it doesn't have decoding, then it can't produce 5.1 sound over optical (optical doesn't have uncompressed audio for more than 2 channels IIRC).

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What I was hinting at, was that you can produce a 5.1 sound from 2 channels in a matrix. 6/7.1 is often times created from that - similar to how old school dolby pro logic created a center channel from the left and front, matrix can create a center-rear surround effect from the two side/rear channels. I'm amazed at how many 2 channel (2 speaker) pieces of equipment try to make a "3D surround effect" to sell the product.

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